Energy: from efficiency to performance

February 28, 2018 by Chris Abernathy

A champion of energy efficiency. Even before this new market was well identified, Schneider Electric had begun to expand its activities to growth markets, notably by offering its industrial customers more efficiency and energy savings. Ten years and some 130 buyouts later, the French group plays in the big leagues. Another champion of energy efficiency, not for processes, but for buildings: the venerable Saint-Gobain, which celebrates its 350 years, and has reorganized in recent years around the concept of sustainable housing . For its CEO Pierre-André de Chalendar, energy performance is a growth driver in mature economies, where the group generates 80% of its turnover.

It will be understood that the industry did not wait for the (too) long maturation of the energy transition bill to call into question its energy consumption. Had she not done so, the prospect of substantial savings will help her take the plunge. By 2030, French industry could reduce its energy intensity by 20%, according to the calculations of the Environment Agency for Energy Management (Ademe). Between 2000 and 2012 alone, it dropped by just over 11%. 2015 will be a pivotal year. So far, investing in energy efficiency has been a voluntary move to reduce costs. From now on, it will also be to avoid surcharges related to penalties. Some 5,000 medium-sized companies and large companies will have to carry out a first energy audit of their sites before the end of the year.

Without waiting for this obligation, many industrialists have undertaken to make their energy consumption more flexible by controlling it more finely and by giving them the means to anticipate it. With great strokes of instrumentation, predictive software and supervision tools … They are thus preparing for the smart grid and the dynamic pricing of electricity that will succeed the regulated tariffs in 2016. Good examples are not lacking in the pages that follow!